1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer program product, a print processing method, and a printing system making it possible to print a detection image pattern when copying.
2. Description of the Related Art
A technology that adds a digital watermark, a background pattern, or the like to a printout printed on paper or other medium and performs predetermined processing when the digital watermark or the like is detected has conventionally been known. This technology is used for, for example, copy guard to restrict reproduction of a printout. The digital watermark or the background pattern is printed as follows: a background image pattern is generated by an algorithm of a printer driver installed on a user terminal; this image pattern is printed on an entire surface of a sheet as a background pattern. When operation to copy this surface with the background pattern is made on a copier having a function of detecting the copy guard pattern, the copier does not allow operation to perform normal copying by outputting a blank sheet or a printout entire image area of which is filled with a specific color tone. Such detection of a digital watermark is also used to detect falsification or to allow viewing a print history record.
A known example of this type of technology is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2008-236076.
However, a scheme of generating a background pattern and detecting the background pattern varies from one apparatus to another, and a problem occurs particularly in such an environment where image forming apparatuses of a plurality of vendors are used. More specifically, when an attempt to copy a printout of an image pattern generated using an algorithm for an image forming apparatus of a vendor A, using a copier of a vendor B is made, the copier of the vendor B cannot detect the image pattern generated using the algorithm of the vendor A. This leads to a problem that a perfect reproduction of the printout can be made.
There is a need to provide a program that, even in an environment where apparatuses of a plurality of vendors are used, makes it possible to print a detection image pattern detectable by the respective apparatuses, when copying.